It's very easy to go wrong in Madden NFL 23 when it comes to Ultimate Team. For every one person who makes it big, there are tens of thousands who go broke and get mired in the middle of the pack. Few games require the quantity of warnings that should come with Madden Ultimate Team.
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But does that mean this mode should be sworn off forever? Not at all. There are ways for beginners to enjoy putting together a solid squad that takes on challenges. There is enjoyment in Madden NFL 23's Ultimate Team mode that won't have gamers taking out a second mortgage.
Updated on December 4th, 2022 by Hodey Johns: With half of the year underway, Madden NFL 23 is not the same game. Some surprising players are on record-breaking paces while others have cooled off after a hot year in 2021. This changes the player rankings and ratings in the regular game, but the effect is there in Madden Ultimate Team as well. While cards aren't prone to change, the latest cards try to capitalize on athletes that are playing well above expectations. Many new gamers will be dipping a toe into this mode and become overwhelmed by the alterations made since the mode's first iteration. To help them get up to speed, more tips have been added that will help a new player get started on the right foot.
15 Don't Pay For Anything
This is a guide for beginners, so it is safe to give this piece of advice: Don't ever spend real money on this mode. Ethically, this is encouraging a company to continue predatory behaviors. It's resulted in an annual lazy product for a franchise that has been mired in a total lack of innovation.
More practically, getting the best safety in the game will require thousands of dollars and the card received will be outdated within a few months. Beginners will find that their win-loss rate won't change since they'll just get bumped up into a tougher league. The only players who should spend money are the pros who earn it back in tournaments. Everybody else, resist the urge.
14 Log In Daily
Rewards add up over time. Logging in for a pack here or a card there might never net the best cornerback on the field, but, when sold or added to a collection, the totality of these cards can indeed produce elite talent.
Logging in every so often will lead to a stagnant team. That may be fine for some players, but those who are looking to satisfy the itch for the next upgrade will need to be consistent. Upgrades won't happen every day, but every day is another step along the path to the next better card.
13 Start With The Solo Objectives
Although the chatter around Ultimate Team is going to be based on the multiplayer matchups, beginners should start (and perhaps end) with the solo challenges. Doing the challenges takes players with their starting players and slowly upgrades the entire team.
It's something like a tutorial that has real bonuses. Going into matchups without doing these solo challenges first is just asking to be defeated. Maybe gamers who like the challenge could find some value in doing this, but there is little sensible rationale for such a move.
12 Test Out New Playbooks
Although there are strong opinions about what the best and worst playbooks are, this really comes down to personal taste and team consistency, which vary in so many ways that delivering specific advice is impossible. Trial and error is the best way to figure out what works best.
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Those who have incredible linebackers will find that having two ILBs and two OLBs on the field at once is best, so more of these plays works well, for example. Keep an eye on the average yardage per play and target playbooks that have those idea formations.
11 Use The Generate Best Lineup Button
Before really digging into the cards and understanding which ones are better, new players have a very easy tool to use. Even pro players will use this 'Generate Best Lineup' button and make adjustments from there.
Going into the game without the best defensive linemen available makes for a really embarrassing and easily rectified mistake. There may still be some tuning up to do after getting the best OVR in each spot, but this is an efficient way to have a great team going into each challenge.
10 Switching A Player Out Of Position
Here is a strategy that allows new players to field a team that can compete with the pros. Click each position and see if there is somebody who can do it better. Especially when players have a few fantastic offensive linemen, they can interchange guards and tackles pretty easily.
If players plan on blocking only with tight ends, toss some linemen in there. Or if their tight ends are going to be mostly receiving, replace them with wide receivers. The lower right tells gamers if the new card is better or worse than the current player and can be a helpful gauge.
9 Go Beyond The OVR
OVR measures a player's talents at many things. Click on Kick Returner and see all the different metrics that go into measuring this player: man coverage, zone coverage, catch in traffic, route running, etc. But how many of these are actually needed by a kick returner?
Really, it's mostly just about speed and running. Don't be afraid to take one of the best wide receivers who may be the default kick returner and replace them with an elite running back. OVR can be helpful, but it can also be misleading.
8 Level Up The Ultimate Champion
A 95+ OVR card can easily set players back about five digits in U.S. dollars, but everybody can have one if they put in the work. That Ultimate Champion doesn't start out as anything special, it can easily be replaced early on. But complete the tier requirements and the card will level up astronomically.
Getting a whole team to this kind of OVR would be expensive, but players that commit to the grind will save themselves lots of money throughout a season. The cards can be the best-in-slot at the position to boot, so they're not just merely "good."
7 Check Field Pass Objectives Out
Some of the Field Pass rewards, such as completing an entire set of cards, will require an incomprehensible amount of cash or time. However, some are fairly simple, such as playing games with house rules or getting sacks with cards from a particular set.
This will yield training points or in-game currency, both of which are valuable. Even the wealthiest gamers find themselves in need of more training points and cash. Want to save up for a quarterback that doesn't have to learn to slide to stay safe? Pick up a more durable one and train them up after completing some of these objectives.
6 Keep The Mission Tab Completed
Missions yield useful cards and upgrades. The tab conveniently organizes everything that can be reasonably accomplished and gamers should do their best to complete this checklist as quickly as possible. Some of the objectives disappear weekly.
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Aside from a chance to get superstar quarterbacks and other rewards, there are often set items that other players desperately need. Those who spend money on sets will pay way more for these cards than they are individually worth, so beginners should complete these missions and then cash in at the auction house.
5 Check Set Bonuses Before Selling
Those who don't want to spend big bucks might think they aren't going to be able to snag great cards; this is not true! Before shopping the auction house in search of a better deal, check out the 'Sets' section. Here, players can turn lower cards into better ones.
Some of the sets aren't very realistic for non-spenders, but others are simply incremental. Put in a few lower-ranked players and get a higher-ranked player. Easy!
4 Craft Team Identity With Strategy
Navigate over to the strategy tab and find some default strategy cards and playbooks. For many gamers, these will work fine, but specific strategies will demands changes here to get the most out of them. This area has been improved this year, but the game still requires changes to get on the level of MLB The Show's Diamond Dynasty experience.
Look at the positions on the card and then note the statistics that get boosted. For example, if the linebackers are getting boosts to coverage but gamers are looking for more blitzes, consider changing out the card with one that changes up the attributes to shedding blocks or tackling.
3 Sync Up Team Chemistry
One way beginners can be better than the cards they can afford is to sync up team chemistry through affinity. The veterans will be taking the cards with the best OVRs. To bridge that gap, instead of buying expensive cards, buy ones that come from the same team.
All offensive and defensive starters from the same team contribute to the chemistry bonus. With enough of them, the contributing cards each get ten extra points toward their stats. Consider nabbing up the highest-rated Patriots. Keep an eye out for cards with multiple team affinities. These can be adjusted in the lineup menu to match the desired team chemistry.
2 Upgrade Cards
If new players are wondering where their new, great card is getting outplayed by the exact same card for somebody else's team, the answer is likely in the training. When gamers find a card they want to keep, they'll want to upgrade it to unlock special moves.
There is no substitute for this. Frankly, a 99 OVR player with no upgrade is not going to be as special as an 89 card with one. This also allows players to customize their team better since they can choose what kind of upgrade they want the player to have.
1 Playing The Auction House
Due to a consistent influx of new cards and a hungry player base, the auction house is extremely active. Whales are set to gobble up everything they can to get a better deal. So how does a minnow swim with the whales? Give them the bait that they want.
Cards that belong in unrealistic sets sell for massive amounts and many wealthy gamers will automatically buy these cards at absurdly high prices. Go ahead and pawn it off, then use the proceeds to buy more practical components and upgrades.
Madden NFL 23 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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